[MD] Imaginings

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Andre]
My dear Arlo, take anything with you...whatever turns you on.

[Arlo]
Hmmm.... 

[Andre]
Platt does have some nice intellectual  insights (so long as it follows party
rule) , but keeps on going down to the social/political pattern.

[Arlo]
Let me give you an example.

In this week's Newsweek, in the Verbatim section, is a quote (I had missed it
before) from a Republican Senator about Obama giving a speech to the schools.

"This is something you'd expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein's
Iraq" (Steve Russell, R OK).

Now. Ask yourself. Its COMMON knowledge that Bush gave a similar address in
1991. Its COMMON knowledge that Republicans BACKED this speech against some
Democrat complaints.

Is Russell THAT stupid? Did he make a similar allegation when Bush gave his
1991 address to the public schools?

This is what my point has always been. Its not about principled, intellectual
dissent. Its about hypocritic pandering to hyperbole and distortions, with the
intent, the SOLE intent, to incite those misinformed voters whom you expect
will keep YOU in power. 

Russell could have seized the opportunity to say, "Obama, like Bush, has every
right to address the schools, and doing so is not wrong. But I am personally
making a decision as a parent, because I disagree with Obama, to not send my
child to school during the broadcast. I would also add, that if in the future,
if a Republican president was giving this same address, that Democrat parents
are fully right should they choose to hold their kids at home during that
broadcast."

THIS is, at the very least, accurate and principled. One could still argue
exposure, as I would not have held my daughter at home during Bush's address.
But it does not pander to distortive hyperbole. It does not smack entirely of
hypocrisy. 

And yet what gets repeated HERE, a forum supposedly dedicated to philosophy and
intellectual pondering, is nothing but the distortive hyperbole, the
hypocritical and inciting rhetoric that anyone with half a brain cell in their
head should find absolutely and entirely revolting.

Because, getting back to Russell's quote, this appalling, moronic discourse
sustains the sinking of political dialogue in this country to nothing more than
"who can incite the largest mob". Same with "death panels". It is the
deliberate subjugation of intellect to an angry, incited mob.

And that should shame us here. Yeah, I take it too personally. But still, its
downright embarrassing.